Independent panel to combat doping in Kazakhstan sports

Almaty, Feb 12: An independent anti-doping commission has been established in the capital city of Astana, the Kazakstan National Olympic Committee said.

As an independent entity, the commission established on Thursday will evaluate the performance of the whole anti-doping system in Kazakhstan in order to prevent doping scandals and to protect honest athletes in the country, reports Xinhua.

Composed of representatives from various institutions, non-governmental organisations and sports functionaries, the commission will at the stage focus its work on the review of the current activities of the national anti-doping centre and anti-doping laboratory located in Almaty, and review the current mechanisms of interaction with international articipants of the anti-doping movement.

The National Olympic Committee of Kazakhstan plans to later include the anti-doping movement experts of international level in this authority. Kazakhstan's independent authority will work in full cooperation with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

In recent months, Kazak young weightlifters Igor Son and Tatyana Kapustina were deprived of their Youth World Championship 2015 medals due to the use of illegal drugs. The investigation concerning Kazakhstan winners of World Cup-2015 in weightlifting Almas Uteshev, Zhasulan Kydyrbaev and Yermek Omirtay is still in process.

Those sportsmen were suspended from participating in international competitions in connection with a possible anti-doping rule violation as their "A" samples taken from the athletes at the World Cup in Houston, the United States revealed the presence of prohibited substances.